


first time

by notmadderred



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Fluff, Ice Skating, Just A Vibe Folks, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notmadderred/pseuds/notmadderred
Summary: Matt released a stream of curses that no doubt would have even impressed his father as he gripped the siding rail of the ice rink. His legs kept bowing out beneath him, and he was currently struggling to make his feet stop moving atop the ice, wanting to finally stand still and regain some semblance of balance again. He was half-tempted to just sit on the railing itself and perch there, safe from the ice below.Frank chuckled next to him, his own arm still hooked through Matt’s. “It’s gonna take some practice before you get used to it, Red,” he said, his voice lilted in a way that meant he was smiling.Matt glowered at Frank, ignoring the amusement curdling within his chest. He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to this, but it so happened that Frank was quite convincing even when he didn’t mean to be. “I’m used to it,” he defended. “I’m just… adjusting.”
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Comments: 12
Kudos: 66
Collections: DDE’s 2021 New Year’s Day Exchange





	first time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Iithril](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iithril/gifts).



> Hey there, I was your Secret Santa for this exchange! I hope you enjoy this fic (based on the prompt "they said yes to try something they'd never done before, just to please their friend(s)/partner(s), but they're actually terrified")

Matt released a stream of curses that no doubt would have even impressed his father as he gripped the siding rail of the ice rink. His legs kept bowing out beneath him, and he was currently struggling to make his feet stop moving atop the ice, wanting to finally stand still and regain some semblance of balance again. He was half-tempted to just sit on the railing itself and perch there, safe from the ice below.

Frank chuckled next to him, his own arm still hooked through Matt’s. “It’s gonna take some practice before you get used to it, Red,” he said, his voice lilted in a way that meant he was smiling.

Matt glowered at Frank, ignoring the amusement curdling within his chest. He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to this, but it so happened that Frank was quite convincing even when he didn’t mean to be. “I’m used to it,” he defended. “I’m just… adjusting.”

“Pretty sure that’s the opposite of ‘used to it.’”

“Shuddup.”

Frank laughed again, and this time Matt couldn’t help but smile even as he flipped Frank the bird. A woman nearby squawked as her son naively questioned what that meant. 

Matt will admit that he foresaw this going differently. He’d expected to pick up on this rather quickly, even despite having never done or seen ice skating before, not even when he was a kid before the accident -- nevermind the fact that he’d been nervous about it, a weight in his gut settling when he first stepped onto the rink. Obviously, egoism didn’t contribute to natural talent.

“C’mon,” Frank said, tugging Matt’s arm gently. “We’ll go slow. You can stay close to the edge.”

There were a half-dozen kids also clinging to the edge. Matt lifted his hand off the rail to briefly adjust his glasses, but they were held stubbornly in place by the beanie over his ears. He quickly returned his grip to the rail as he felt his legs begin to splay out again, compounded by his heart going into a brief flight of panic. “Goddammit,” he muttered.

“There are kids everywhere,” Frank reprimanded. “Gotta be careful with that mouth of yours.”

“I’m always careful with my mouth,” said Matt, immediately grinning with a knife-edge before pulling Frank closer to him and stealing a quick kiss. “See?” he said as Frank laughed against him. “Careful.”

“Yeah. You’re a real saint.”

“Go on, then.” Matt took his hand off the rail again, and thankfully his legs didn’t start shaking. “Guide me around the perimeter. It’ll count as community service.”

“You’re such an ass,” Frank said, but he pushed off with a slow roll, and Matt followed suit just behind him. It only took a few seconds before Matt was completely clinging to Frank’s arm and cursing again. He could feel the rumbles within Frank’s chest -- this asshole was trying not to laugh at him and obviously failing. “Not too graceful now,” Frank commented.

“Shut up, I’m blind, what do you want from me,” Matt snapped waspishly in reply. He was enjoying it even with his rampant clumsiness, and Matt wasn’t exactly against being close to Frank, who was somehow a walking furnace despite the cold.

Frank pulled his arm around Matt’s shoulders briefly, giving him some kind of awkward nerdy side-hug that Matt thoroughly enjoyed, before he switched to grab Matt’s hand. “I can pull you ‘round a bit. You’d just gotta keep your legs ‘bout shoulder-width apart and not fall.”

“Sounds simple,” Matt spat, but he nodded even still, holding his free hand out by his side as though that would help with the balance.

Frank began pulling then, weaving closer to the center and around the throngs of people surrounding them, his movements rippling with familiarity as he led Matt around, letting him simply take in the movement and shifts and air nipping against his exposed features and rustling at his scarf. 

Matt considered when Frank may have learned to do this, if it was when he was a kid or a teenager, or perhaps if it was when he had a whole family of his own, kids that stumbled on the ice rink like Matt did. Maybe Frank led them around by his hand; maybe he’d done the same with his wife, or maybe she was graceful and they danced in the center, both practiced and familiar, making a home of the small plane of space they had to themselves.

But right now, Frank was sharing this with him. And he was happy -- Matt could hear it in his heart and in his voice, could tell that he was genuinely content, could feel that same warmth of bliss rustling within his own veins simply at the fact that they were here together.

It was nice. Everything about it was so simple and good -- it felt so new and right, different from their nights out together on rooftops and battling with fists and blood, but nevertheless still _them_.

They made it to the very center of the rink. To their right, someone had cleared a space for themselves and were doing small, elaborate tricks. Matt could tell they were focused, fixated on their own motions, their grunts of effort suggesting that they were pushing themselves, perhaps trying something unfamiliar. “Are they good?” Matt asked, angling his head toward the skater.

“Yes,” Frank replied without hesitation. His footing was sure and unmoving, and Matt attempted to replicate it with his own stance. Some people clapped as the skater did a leaping move, landing on one foot and doing a small, sweeping circle on the ice.

“I’m… almost that good, aren’t I?”

Frank laughed, a whole one with the big smile and cocking head. “Sure, Red,” he said, grinning widely at him. “Almost.”

Matt’s legs were shaking a bit, and he swallowed his tongue at the display of nerves. He was obviously fine and having a good time. It wasn’t exactly relaxing, but it was still fun. _Mostly_ fun -- his fear about the whole ordeal was uncalled for, after all. 

Most importantly was that he was here with Frank, that he trusted Frank enough to even do this in the first place. “I love you, you know,” he said.

Frank’s face twitched, his jaw muscle tightening as his heart leapt. He squeezed Matt’s hand once, twice. “I love you, too,” he said.

“Good,” said Matt.

“Good,” said Frank, and then he tilted Matt’s chin up toward him and pulled him into another longer kiss.

The crowd cheered once more, and Matt pulled away grinning. They were still cheering for the skater no doubt, but it could be fun to pretend.

“Your legs are shaking,” Frank said because he was still an asshole and loved to ruin a moment.

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” he replied dryly. “It’s not my fault I was nervous.”

“Nervous about ice skating?”

Matt squinted at the incredulous tone. “ _Yes_ , about ice skating. And for good reason, too, seeing as I’m so bad at it.”

“You ain’t too rough.” Frank grabbed his arms and twisted him in a small circle. Matt cursed, almost tripped, then managed to keep his footing to spin with him. “See?”

“You’re the worst.”

Frank hummed. “I can make it up to you.” Then, after a pause, “Thank you for agreeing to do this.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Matt countered. “Though I do have one demand.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Let me teach you to cook.”

Frank’s brow furrowed. “You’re a cook?”

“No. Which is why it’ll be fun. Karen gave me a good recipe a while ago.” A while ago being a _very_ long while ago -- before she’d even found out he was Daredevil. “We’re both gonna make it, and you aren’t allowed to look at the recipe. You just have to do what I do.”

Frank laughed and shook his head, amused. “That, uh. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Why are we both makin’ it if I’m just gonna be doing what you direct me to, anyway?”

“Twice as much food.”

Frank grunted. “Fair ‘nuff.”

“Fair ‘nuff,” Matt parroted in the same, growling tone.

In lieu of a response, Frank just grabbed his hands and spun once more, twirling Matt with him, leaving him cursing even more loudly than previous. “God _dammit_ , Frank!”

“Sir!” someone reprimanded.

“S’alright, s’alright,” Frank said, thus steering them away whilst Matt was still reeling and cursing; albeit, more quietly now. “That ain’t exactly a holy mouth you got there,” he said with a gentle lilt.

“You would know,” Matt snapped back.

Frank chuckled once more, then linked his arm through Matt’s and pulling him close to his own body. “Yeah, Red. I would. Now how about we get off the ice. Maybe run by the store then get what ya need to cook.”

Matt dipped his head into the crook of Frank’s neck. It was somewhat awkward, given how they were standing, but it still fit nonetheless. “That sounds good to me.”

Even burning down the apartment seemed like a vaguely good idea so long as he was doing it with Frank.

It was ridiculous, but… well, he supposed it worked. And he certainly didn’t have any complaints. “I’ll race you to the exit,” he said, and then took off.

Frank squawked after him, and seconds later was having to pick Matt up off the ice where he was laughing his ass off.

Yeah. He could live like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!!! <3


End file.
